India Announces 26-Player Squad for Intercontinental Cup

India’s men’s football team, under the guidance of new head coach Manolo Marquez, is gearing up for the upcoming Intercontinental Cup. On Wednesday, Marquez announced a 26-player squad for the preparatory camp leading up to the tournament, which will take place in Hyderabad from September 3 to 9.

The Intercontinental Cup will see India face off against Syria (ranked 93rd in FIFA rankings) and Mauritius (ranked 179th). India currently sits at 124th in the FIFA rankings. The preparatory camp for the tournament will begin in Hyderabad on August 31.

Marquez expressed his excitement about the camp, stating, “We are very excited about our first preparatory camp and I know it will be the same for the players.” He also emphasized the importance of teamwork and finding the right combination, saying, “We face two different teams and the rankings are not very important. We need to work all together in the same direction to find the correct group of players and their predisposition will be very good, something I am completely sure about.”

Marquez added, “I know all of us are in pre-season with nice challenges in front of us. It’s a big honor to wear the jersey of the national team and we need to show it to all our fans.”

This will be the fourth edition of the Intercontinental Cup since its inception in 2018. The first tournament was held in Mumbai, followed by editions in Ahmedabad (2019) and Bhubaneshwar (2023). India emerged victorious in both the 2018 and 2023 editions.

Here is the complete 26-player squad announced by Manolo Marquez:

Goalkeepers:

Gurpreet Singh, Amrinder Singh, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill

Defenders:

Nikhil Poojary, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Roshan Singh Naorem, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, Ashish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh

Midfielders:

Suresh Singh Wangjam, Jeakson Singh, Nandhakumar Sekar, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Yasir Mohammad, Lalengmawia Ralte, Anirudh Thapa, Sahal Abdul Samad, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Lalthathanga Khawlhring

Forwards:

Kiyan Nassiri Giri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco

The Indian team will be looking to build on their recent success in the Intercontinental Cup and continue their growth under the guidance of Manolo Marquez. With a mix of experienced players and promising young talent, the team is poised for a strong performance in the upcoming tournament.